(Audrey) Today I did something truly scary—I got dental work done in India. It’s not such an outlandish idea as it used to be, what with medical tourism, and all. Still something about the pairing of drills-fillings-teeth and the third world doesn’t put me instantly at ease. But I’ve had awful dental care for the past 4 years, courtesy of a to-remain-unnamed University who only provides dental care through their dental school, so I needed a check-up with a real, licensed dentist desperately.
One of the advantages of living in India is that whereas I can only afford the worst in New York I can afford the best here. And so I went to arguably the best dentist in Delhi, Dr. Mehta, personally recommended. Located in posh Vasant Vihar (an area of Delhi where I can’t afford to live it’s so ritzy), the office made a good impression from the get-go.
Really the outside looks more like you’re in Japan than in India. Even the street cows and dogs seemed to know to stay away from the office entrance. The waiting room was also lovely, spic and span, and the magazines were even up to date!
Within 5 minutes of arriving at the office I was in the dentist check-up chair, speaking with the dentist himself. He looked at my mouth for a few minutes and then proceeded to tell me the history of my orthodontist work (there’s 7+ years of history there, so it’s quite a story all in all). He quickly diagnosed that I had no cavities and then instructed one of his assistants to give me a deep cleaning. 40 minutes flat and I was out of there, with way cleaner teeth than the “in-training dentists” at this unnamed University (hello Columbia!) have ever gotten them. Here’s a shot of the dentist’s office. Anybody who has ever dealt with sub-par dental care in New York will greatly appreciate how clean and modern this place is.
All in all I was very impressed. The visit wasn’t cheap–about 60 USD all in all, for a cleaning and x-rays. But it’s solid work from a knowledgeable dentist that I trust. Oh, and did I mention that I made this appointment less than 72 hours ago? In New York, I have to call 3 months in advance, minimum. Oh, the better sides of India.
Tags: Columbia University, Delhi, dental school, dentist, dentistry, India, teeth, Vasant Vihar
November 23, 2009 at 6:42 pm |
Good for you! Glad it turned out so well.
November 24, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
Your public wants to know — post a pic of your new pearly whites!